


two's company, three's a crowd

by closingdoors



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Rhona's POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-23 06:09:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23006965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/closingdoors/pseuds/closingdoors
Summary: "Rhona sighs, resigning herself to a night of watching Charity and Vanessa sucking face."On a night out to distract Vanessa from her suspension, Rhona soon finds herself third wheeling.
Relationships: Charity Dingle/Vanessa Woodfield
Comments: 8
Kudos: 184





	two's company, three's a crowd

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place some time between Vanessa being suspended and before Charity tells her about Bails. I thought I'd try my hand at a little bit of humour/lightheartedness, considering all the angst we have on screen at the moment. Enjoy :)

From now on, Rhona decides as she watches Charity and Vanessa snog like their life depends on it in the middle of the dance floor, she's restricting future nights out to friends _only._

She checks her phone for the twentieth time that night. Tracy's supposed to be with them but she's running late. Pete had bailed the minute she'd mentioned it was a gay bar. Rhona sighs, heading over to get them more drinks.

Vanessa appears at her elbow just after she's been served. Her eyes are bright, curls a mess, and half of her lipstick has smudged around her mouth.

"More shots? Don't mind if I do."

They do them together, both wincing at the sour aftertaste. 

"Where's Charity? You two haven't managed to have a barney, have you?" 

"She went to the loo. She had to fix her lipstick cos we've been kissing."

Rhona motions to Vanessa's. "So do you, by the looks of it."

"Aw, she didn't tell me that! Help me out, won't you?"

Vanessa clumsily digs through her bag for her lipstick. Rhona can hardly see but Vanessa's a handful to deal with when she's drunk, so she just goes along with it.

Her friend pouts and bats her eyelashes. Rhona rolls her eyes fondly and holds her chin in place, swiping it on and rubbing the excess away with her thumb. The end result's not perfect, but she looks better than she had when she's first bounced over.

"Oi! What are you - oh, it's you, Rhona," Charity's voice cuts over the bass of the music, draping her arm over Vanessa's shoulders. Then she frowns. "Why're you feeling my girlfriend up?"

"I'm not feeling her up," Rhona splutters.

" _You_ didn't tell me my lipstick was everywhere," Vanessa says, poking Charity's sternum.

Charity just grins. "Guilty. You looked cute. Besides, that way people know you're taken, even if I leave your side to have a wee."

"You're dead romantic, Charity Dingle," Vanessa says, stroking her cheek. Rhona's not so sure what's romantic about that.

Charity rolls her eyes but she doesn't deny it. Vanessa drags her down for a kiss and Rhona looks away, staring at their tray of drinks still sitting on the bar. She hears Vanessa moan over the loud music.

"Right!" She grabs the tray and knocks their elbows with it. They part, Vanessa still grinning and Charity glaring. "Shall we find somewhere to do these?"

One of the tall standing tables is empty, sticky with alcohol, and Rhona carefully places the tray on top. 

"Sure you can reach?" Charity teases.

"Charity! She's in _heels._ Obviously she can reach." 

"You're one to talk," Charity adds, nudging Vanessa's side.

"I'm in heels too," Vanessa says with a pout.

They split the shots between the three of them. Rhona casts a furtive glance around the room, catching the eye of a woman with half-black half-purple hair, and thinks about the last time she'd come here.

That'd been to cheer Vanessa up back then, too, about how lonely she'd been feeling and how confused she'd been about her sexuality. It hadn't cleared anything up really, as she'd told Rhona when they'd left, just that she _had_ loved her. It's strange to think they'd once been in that situation.

She looks over at her best friend now, Charity draped over her and saying something in her ear that's making her giggle and blush. She gets the feeling that Vanessa doesn't need alcohol and a night out to be cheered up anymore. Just a certain blonde bartender.

"How about we see who can get the most numbers? Loser has to buy drinks for the rest of the night," she suggests. Charity scowls at her and Vanessa just looks confused. "Remember? Like the last time we were here? Even Paddy managed to get a number off a vet student." 

"Oh, I'm too old to be doing all that now," Vanessa says, waving her hand in the air and wrinkling her nose. "And if I'm remembering properly, last time I only managed to get _one_ woman's number. Not exactly a boost to my self-esteem, is it?" 

"But you're way more confident now! Go on, it'll be fun." 

"It wouldn't be fair of us, anyway, cos you'd only lose."

Rhona balks. "What are you talking about? I could get a lesbian's number if I wanted!" 

"You've already got one," Charity comments, nodding to Vanessa, who elbows her. "Besides, I dunno what kind of deal you and Pete have got going on, but I certainly don't wanna watch my girlfriend hitting on other people all night."

Rhona sighs, resigning herself to a night of watching Charity and Vanessa sucking face.

"Make way!"

They all turn to find Tracy approaching them, another tray of shots in her hands. There's hardly enough room on the table for it all. Vanessa's eyes go wide.

"Bloody hell, I'm gonna die tonight." 

"Oi, we're cheering you up!" Tracy protests. "Maybe we shouldn't drink them all if we don't wanna end up in hospital though, eh?"

"Maybe she does have a brain after all," Charity comments. 

Tracy frowns. "Are you _ever_ nice to anyone?"

"Your sister," Charity says easily. "I'm _very_ nice to her, actually." 

"Are we gonna do these or what?" Rhona interrupts.

Tracy claps her hands together. "Oh! We should play Never Have I Ever! That one's always fun." 

"Maybe a non-dirty version?" 

"Oh, don't act like you're all prim and proper now, V. I'm not scared of hearing about a little bit of lesbian sex," Tracy sighs, lining up her shots. "Besides, you forget our bedrooms share a wall. You do remember that on nights dad has Johnny _I'm_ still in the house, don't you?"

Rhona suddenly becomes very grateful that she's only had to put up with these two on a night out. She decides to buy Tracy a good set of earplugs for her next birthday.

"Speaking of which," Tracy says, raising her shot, "that'll be the first one. Never have I ever kissed a woman."

They all take a shot. Rhona can feel Charity's eyes on her, but she keeps staring steadily ahead.

Though Vanessa had initially protested the game, she has a loose tongue on her after a couple of drinks, and Charity doesn't make any attempt to stop her from oversharing about their sex life. Rhona's never going to look at the back room of the vets the same way again. Or the booths in the pub. Or the bar of the pub. Pretty much anywhere the two of them have access to, really.

"Don't look so glum, Rhona, you've bagged yourself a fit younger bloke," Vanessa says, after Rhona winces when Vanessa takes a shot at _never have I ever given a lap dance,_ and Charity looks smug, like she's picturing it. "I mean, he's a decent kisser an' all."

"How do you know that?" Charity asks sharply, stealing the words from Rhona's mouth.

Vanessa pauses. Her eyes flick between the two of them. Tracy laughs, barely bothering to smother the sound with her palm. 

"It wasn't a big deal. It was just once! And I don't even like men, so it doesn't really count," Vanessa rambles. She grabs Charity's hands. "Shall we dance?"

She tugs Charity away before anyone else can ask anymore questions. Rhona watches them go, joining the crowd that's gathered on the dance floor now that people've grown drunker as the night has gone on. 

Rhona shakes her head fondly. That nugget of information will be something funny to tease Pete about later. 

Tracy sighs loudly, resting her chin in her palms. They both watch Charity and Vanessa on the dance floor. Thankfully, they're not eating each other's faces off this time. Charity's saying something that makes Vanessa laugh, her head thrown back and her curls spilling around her shoulders.

"They're dead cute, aren't they?"

Rhona's not quite sure _cute_ is the word she'd use for the two of them. Of course, she'll always support her best friend, no matter what. But Charity Dingle's hardly the person she'd choose for her. Then again, she barely knows Charity herself. 

It's obvious Charity cares about Vanessa despite her prickly exterior, that's not something she can deny. It's just strange getting used to Charity being the focal point of so many of Vanessa's stories now. Always being by her side, whether it's the pub or the café or even, sometimes, bringing her lunch at work. She's only ever known Charity to be the villain in everyone's life, not the one who makes her best friend soft-eyed and dopey.

"Maybe I should become a lesbian. V's been way happier since she realised she is." 

"I don't think that's how it works," Rhona says, laughing. 

Tracy pouts. "I bloody wish it did. I mean, they're constantly going at it. It's hard not to be jealous when you live with such a loved-up couple." 

Not twenty minutes later, Tracy's crying on her shoulder, drunken blubbering about how much she hates David and how bored she is she's resorted to Tinder. Rhona's tried keeping an eye out for Vanessa so she can flag her down and suggest they end the night, but she hasn't been able to catch sight of her for a while now.

Rhona shoots her a quick text saying she's going to take Tracy home. She feels weird leaving without Vanessa. They'd always made sure the other one was safe after a night out at uni, even if they'd pulled. 

She struggles to get Tracy to the exit. She's taller than she is, and she can barely walk in a straight line, even with her arm around Rhona's shoulder for support.

Thankfully, Charity and Vanessa appear right before she gets outside. 

"Finally! Where the hell have you two been?"

"Bathroom," Vanessa replies quickly, bright red.

Rhona would believe her if not for the fact she's a terrible liar. Charity doesn't have a hair out of place, but all of her lipstick's gone. Vanessa's the very picture of debauchery: curls askew, one of the straps of her dress falling down her arm, sporting a brand new hickey on her collarbone. 

Vanessa ducks under Tracy's other arm to support her. Together they get her outside. Charity points to the queue of the taxi rank.

"I'll go get us one," she says. 

Tracy wobbles where they stand. "M'tired." 

"Why don't we sit down, eh?" Vanessa suggests.

Rhona's not sure they'll be able to convince her to get back up, but they sit together on the edge of the pavement, their feet in the road. Tracy rests her cheek on Vanessa's shoulder and begins snoring instantly, louder than the muted thud of the music back in the club.

Vanessa laughs, tucking some of her sister's hair behind her ears. Rhona watches her. She looks pretty under the streetlight. She's always noticing how pretty Vanessa is. 

"So, have we done a good job at cheering you up?" 

"Mission accomplished. Reckon I might be getting a little old for all this, though. I'd just as soon have a night with a takeaway and a decent boxset."

"With Charity?" She teases.

"I think I could really love her, Rhona," Vanessa confides quietly. She meets her eyes. "Maybe I already do."

Rhona takes a deep breath. Okay.

"Does she know that?" 

"Not yet. She'd only freak out. I'm not even sure, really, I just think... sometimes I just look at her and realise there's no-one else I'd rather be with, as corny as that sounds. I know you two don't really get along - "

"I don't have anything against her."

"Alright then." Vanessa smiles and reaches across Tracy to squeeze her hand. "Cos your opinion means a lot to me. You're my oldest friend. It's important that you like her." 

"Ness, she makes you happy. Of course I like her." 

"Good."

Rhona squeezes Vanessa's hand with both of her own. She's never seen Vanessa happier than she is with Charity, that much is true, and for that reason she's never going to protest their relationship, even if she had been wary of Charity in the beginning.

Because she might not be ready to admit, but she thinks Charity could love Vanessa too. 

Their taxi rolls up and they manage to rouse Tracy for long enough for her to climb in. They sit in silence on the way home, Rhona glancing in the rearview mirror to see Tracy slumped against the window, mouth open and drooling, while Vanessa's resting against Charity, their hands linked in her lap. Charity's fingers drift over the back of her palm.

"Want some help getting her in?" She offers as they get out at Tug Ghyll.

"I've got it," Charity says, surprising them both when she manages to guide Tracy to the door. She stops and looks back after she's got it open and Tracy stumbles in. "You coming or what?" 

Vanessa rolls her eyes. Rhona kisses her cheek and squeezes her arm. 

"See you tomorrow, yeah? Make sure you bring something good from the café, we're going to need it. You know what a strop Paddy has when we're both hungover."

"I'll get Charity to bring us some coffees, too," Vanessa tells her. Rhona hides her smile at thought of _Charity Dingle_ doing the coffee run. "See you tomorrow."

Vanessa heads down the path and gives her a little wave over her shoulder before she heads inside. Charity moves to close the door but meets her eyes first.

"Night," she says. "Let Vanessa know when you're home safe." 

"I will," Rhona replies, too surprised to question her.

Charity nods. "See ya." 

The door closes and Rhona stands there for a second, stunned.

At work the next morning, her head's thumping and she feels like she's going to die. Vanessa's sweating and looks like she's going to be sick as they glance through the appointments booked that day.

Charity does bring them both coffee. And a homemade fry up.

Rhona thinks she might see the appeal to her after all.


End file.
